Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) Price Target Cut to $330.00 by Analysts at Citigroup

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) had its target price lowered by Citigroup from $345.00 to $330.00 in a research note issued to investors on Monday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has a buy rating on the basic materials company’s stock.

Other equities analysts also recently issued reports about the company. Berenberg Bank upgraded Ecolab from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $326.00 price objective on the stock in a report on Monday, March 16th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price objective on Ecolab from $310.00 to $285.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, March 18th. Stifel Nicolaus raised their price objective on Ecolab from $300.00 to $337.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. Erste Group Bank downgraded Ecolab from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, January 23rd. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada raised their price objective on Ecolab from $294.00 to $337.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have issued a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $321.44.

Ecolab Stock Performance

Ecolab stock opened at $275.21 on Monday. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $282.68 and its 200-day moving average is $273.75. The company has a market cap of $77.73 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.80, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.26 and a beta of 1.02. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.75, a current ratio of 1.08 and a quick ratio of 0.81. Ecolab has a 12 month low of $229.39 and a 12 month high of $309.27.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 10th. The basic materials company reported $2.08 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.07 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $4.19 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.20 billion. Ecolab had a return on equity of 22.73% and a net margin of 12.91%.The company’s quarterly revenue was up 4.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business posted $1.81 EPS. Ecolab has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.430-8.630 EPS and its Q1 2026 guidance at 1.670-1.730 EPS. Equities analysts anticipate that Ecolab will post 7.54 earnings per share for the current year.

Ecolab Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, March 17th will be given a $0.73 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, March 17th. This represents a $2.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.1%. Ecolab’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 40.11%.

Insider Activity at Ecolab

In other Ecolab news, CEO Christophe Beck sold 20,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $307.37, for a total value of $6,147,400.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 90,794 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $27,907,351.78. This trade represents a 18.05% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Tracy B. Mckibben sold 1,265 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $308.66, for a total transaction of $390,454.90. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 11,358 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,505,760.28. This trade represents a 10.02% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. 0.50% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Ecolab

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Wexford Capital LP acquired a new stake in Ecolab during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $25,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Ecolab during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. acquired a new stake in Ecolab during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Corundum Trust Company INC acquired a new stake in Ecolab during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Finally, Meeder Asset Management Inc. acquired a new stake in Ecolab during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 74.91% of the company’s stock.

Ecolab Company Profile

Ecolab, Inc is a global provider of water, hygiene and infection prevention solutions and services. The company develops and supplies cleaning and sanitizing chemicals, dispensing equipment, water-treatment systems, pest elimination services and related technologies designed to help businesses maintain clean, safe and efficient operations. Its offerings span both products and onsite services, often paired with technical support and training.

Ecolab serves a broad range of end markets including hospitality and foodservice, food and beverage processing, healthcare, manufacturing and industrial operations, and energy and utilities.